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A total of 276 of 524 schools in the affected areas of Canterbury, Nelson-Marlborough, and Wellington were closed today, the Ministry of Education said this afternoon.

"We advised schools to close this morning so that buildings could be inspected," acting Secretary for Education Katrina Casey said.

"Thankfully, most of the damage has been minimal which means most will be open tomorrow.

"We have asked structural engineers to assess schools with more obvious damage, to ensure they are safe.

"Secondary schools have been our top priority because their students are sitting NCEA exams. We've not been advised of any significant structural damage in Wellington, Canterbury or Nelson, so most schools that were closed in these areas today are expected to be open tomorrow, subject to final checks.